Whether you are someone who loves K-pop and knows all about it, or you’re someone who knows nothing about it all, BLACKPINK’s new documentary on Netflix, ‘BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky’, will allow you to enter the world of K-pop and discover what it’s all about. The sensation that is K-pop has been huge in Korea and other Asian countries for decades now, but more recently we have been seeing it make its way West. BLACKPINK is one of the groups that makes up the “3rd Generation” of K-pop, along with other groups such as BTS, EXO, and TWICE, and this is the generation that has pushed the boundaries of K-pop, allowing the current “4th Generation” to expand their global fanbases. As BTS has really shown the world, it is possible to make K-pop a global sensation and BLACKPINK is no exception as they continue to break records and expand their influence.
This new documentary, which was released just two weeks after their debut album, follows the four members of BLACKPINK: Rosé, Lisa, Jennie, and Jisoo. They work on new music and recollect the experiences, struggles, and successes they have endured since their debut in 2016. Along with this, the documentary gives the audience the chance to learn more about each of the members and how they found their way into BLACKPINK, emphasizing the individuality each member brings to the group. Going into this documentary with very little knowledge about BLACKPINK, I loved how they give you the opportunity to get to know the members. They don’t just jump in and expect you to know who this group is and what they do, which makes it a great introduction for people who don’t really have an experience with K-pop. Right away I was able to connect more deeply to their story and found myself really invested in their journey as a group. I even cried at one point!
One really important feature of this documentary was the transparency in the K-pop world, which made me feel like I could see what was under the surface of all the glam and polish of the music and performances. As they recounted their experiences and what is was like to train as a K-pop Idol, something they do anywhere from one to ten years, I could learn how much time and hard work was put into their success, along with the challenges and pressures the girls faced. So often, people choose to dismiss K-pop music because it’s in a language they don’t understand, but the more you learn about these groups, the people in them, and all they have done to get to where they are, the more you can begin to see past the language barrier and realize the talent and artistry they bring to the world of music.
Never before had a Korean group performed at Coachella until BLACKPINK in 2019 and this was an iconic moment that gave them even more of a presence in the West. But when they are not taking the world by storm, they are young women who have lived a very different life, and with that comes its own struggles and hardships. Hearing them talk about the physical, emotional, and mental tolls of being a K-pop Idol creates this new appreciation for everything they do to go out and make their fans happy. They do what they love but they push themselves to perfection and in this documentary, they share the raw side of them that shows that they are just human.